Study suggests re-opening schools could lead to more COVID-19 spread: expert

Adam Kovac

A new German study on COVID-19 suggests that re-opening schools could have a disastrous effect, according to a McGill University expert.

Jorg Fritz, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology, said the study on COVID-19 viral loads across multiple age groups suggests children can spread the virus just as easily as adults.

“That's the first such study. It's important that it had 4,000 infected people and it clearly suggests that children may be just as infectious as adults,” he said. “However, it will take more details studies to analyze this further and investigate if children and adults can spread the virus equally well.”

“Based on these results we have to caution against an unlimited opening of schools and kindergartens until we've verified it.”

Jorg said three guidelines should be followed for re-opening society: the ability to test and trace all cases of COVID-19, control of outbreaks in high-risk facilities like seniors' homes and workplace protections implemented.

“I think we're not there yet. In most of these cases, we fail or are not fully prepared to reopen from the lockdown,” said Fritz.

Quebec's physiotherapy clinics are re-opening after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some say the government should help bear the cost of putting protective measures in place.

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